Unique Collaboration Helps Wheelchair Bound Students in Plainville

March 2019 - Through a grant from the Plainville Community Fund at MSCF, the “Go Kid Go” program, a collaborative initiative to help students with special needs, began last spring.  The Go Kid Go program is a collaboration with Central CT State University faculty and students, together with Plainville High School STEM, Technology Education and Engineering faculty and students. The focus for Go Kid Go is on making adaptations and custom equipment for wheelchair bound school aged students in Plainville to increase their mobility, improve communication and expand/enhance their independent skills.

For the past year, the Go Kid Go team has been working with Plainville High School student, Alexis (Lexi) Charbonneau, pictured below.  Thanks to this grant, the team has been able to modify several desks at Plainville High School to accommodate her motorized wheelchair. In addition, the group is currently working on some additional wheelchair adaptations to allow her to access her school materials from her chair more easily throughout the day.

Lynn Davis, Director of Community Relations, said, “We absolutely believe that the Go Kid Go program is positively impacting independence, communication and social skills growth for our students with special needs... It really is a win-win for all involved - the rich partnership with CCSU, the mentoring and skill building for the Plainville High School students, and the ability for the entire project team to see firsthand how powerful this type of collaboration can be in making a difference in the lives of our students with special needs.”